Method for Cleaning Beverage Filling Lines

Abstract

In a process for cleaning beverage filling plants, one or more beverage filling devices ( 30 ) including a filling head ( 32 ) inside a beverage filling chamber ( 20 ) of the beverage filling line ( 20 ) are rinsed during the operation of the beverage filling line continuously or intermittently with an aqueous, hygienically non-hazardous cleaning agent ( 110 ), present at ambient temperature. Preferably, in addition, vessels ( 48 ) which, in the beverage filling chamber ( 40 a ) are filled with a beverage ( 35 ) and/or a conveyer device ( 6 ) for conveying the vessels to the beverage filling chamber ( 20 ), are rinsed continuously or intermittently with the cleaning agent ( 110 ). The cleaning agent preferably has disinfectant activity.

1 . Process for cleaning beverage filling lines, in which one or more beverage filling devices ( 30 ) including a filling head ( 32 ) inside a beverage filling chamber ( 20 ) of the beverage filling line, during the operation of the beverage filling line are continuously or intermittently rinsed with an aqueous, hygienically non-hazardous cleaning agent ( 110 ), present at an ambient temperature and differing from natural water. 
   
   
       2 . Process according to  claim 1 , characterized in that also vessels ( 40   a ), which in the beverage filling chamber ( 2 ) are filled with a beverage ( 35 ) are rinsed continuously or intermittently during the operation of the beverage filling line, inside the vessel filling chamber ( 2 ) with the cleaning agent ( 110 ). 
   
   
       3 . Process according to  claim 1  or  2 , characterized in that also a conveyer device ( 60 ) for the conveyance of the vessels ( 40   a ) during its movement through the beverage filling chamber ( 20 ) is rinsed continuously or intermittently with cleaning agent ( 110 ). 
   
   
       4 . Process according to one of  claims 1  to  3 , characterized in that the vessels ( 40   a ) are represented by bottles, cans or small barrels. 
   
   
       5 . Process according to one of  claims 1  to  4 , characterized in that the conveyer device ( 60 ) and the conveyed, filled, non-closed vessels ( 40   b ), after leaving the filling chamber ( 20 ), are rinsed continuously or intermittently with the cleaning agent ( 110 ) during the operation of the beverage filling line, the rinsing being optionally a further rinsing. 
   
   
       6 . Process according to one of  claims 1  to  5 , characterized in that the conveyer device ( 60 ) is circulated and prior to its re-entry into the filling chamber ( 20 ), is again rinsed continuously or intermittently during the operation of the beverage filling line. 
   
   
       7 . Process according to one of  claims 1  to  6 , characterized in that the cleaning agent ( 110 ) is sprayed from nozzles ( 82 ,  84 ,  85   86 ,  88 ,  90 ,  92 ,  100 ,  101 ,  102 ,  103 ) onto the objects ( 30 ,  32 ,  40   a,    40   b,    60 ) to be cleaned, mentioned in one of  claims 1  to  4 . 
   
   
       8 . Process according to one of  claims 1  to  7 , characterized in that the cleaning agent ( 110 ) is apportioned into the nozzles ( 82 ,  84 ,  85 ,  86 ,  88 ,  90 ,  92 ,  100 ,  101 ,  102 ,  103 ) as needed. 
   
   
       9 . Process according to one of  claims 1  to  8 , characterized in that the cleaning agent ( 110 ) contains a mixture of tap water and a cleaning concentrate. 
   
   
       10 . Process according to one of  claims 1  to  9 , characterized in that the cleaning agent is represented by a disinfecting agent. 
   
   
       11 . Process according to one of  claims 1  to  10 , characterized in that the cleaning agent contains one or more molecules/ions/radicals selected from ClO . ; ClO - ; HClO; OH . ; HO 2   - ; H 2 O 2 ; O 3 ; S 2 O 8   2 - ; Cl 2 ; Cl; HO 2   . ; O 2 ; O 2   . ; 30 2 ; 10 2 ; O . ; H 3 O; H . ; Cl 2 O ; ClO 2 ; HCl; Cl 2 O 7 ; H 2 SO 4 ; and HSO 3  and the pH amounts to 2 to 8, preferably 7, and the redox potential amounts to +300 mV up to +1200 mV. 
   
   
       12 . Process according to one of  claims 1  to  10 , characterized in that the cleaning agent used is NADES (concentrate). 
   
   
       13 . Process according to one of  claims 1  to  11 , characterized in that the beverage ( 35 ) is beer. Process according to one of  claims 1  to  11 , characterized in that the beverage ( 35 ) is mineral water, juice, wine, spirits, other alcoholic beverages, non-alcoholic mixed beverages or milk.